Residue accumulation in selected vertebrates following a single aerial application of mirex bait, Louisiana--1971-72
Collins, H.L.; Markin, G.P.; Davis, J.
Pesticides Monitoring Journal 8(2): 125-130
1974
ISSN/ISBN: 0031-6156 PMID: 4548523 Document Number: 74125
Applications of mirex bait to control fire ants [Solenopsis spp.] in the United States are now generally limited to a single annual application at 1.7 g active ingredient/acre, but little data was available on the levels of mirex residues in the environment that could be expected from such a programme of treatment. [cf. also next two abstracts]. Therefore a survey to monitor the accumulation of mirex residues in 61 species of vertebrates and in certain components of the human food chain was conducted in Louisiana from May 1971 to May 1972 following a single application of mirex (at 1.7 g/acre) in May 1971. All gas-liquid chromatographic analyses were performed on composited, whole body homogenates. Levels of residues detected ranged from less than 0.001 to 8.483 p.p.m. The highest levels of mirex were detected in logger-head shrikes and mockingbirds 3 months after treatment. Although mirex was detected in 89 percent of the total samples analyzed, the residues detected were usually less than 1 p.p.m.